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Blogs

Welcome to the Adler's Blogs! Adler Transmissions provides you with the latest news and views from Adler's astronomers, curators, partners, and programming staff. From Earth to distant planets and beyond, This Week in Space discusses the latest discoveries and accomplisments in science, space, and technology.

Three Potentially Habitable Planets Found Orbiting Gliese 667C

The search is on for planets that may harbor life and now we're another step closer.

The Next Generation of Space Explorers

The sky is blue, the water is freezing, and thermometers are making yo-yo’s jealous. Its summertime in Chicago and that means another fun and exciting time at the Adler’s annual summer program, the Astro-Science Workshop.

From Vault to Galleries: Planetary Machines Exhibition

Valentina Tereshkova and Sally Ride: Space Pioneers

This week we celebrate the spaceflight anniversaries of two important women who changed the course of human space exploration - Valentina Tereshkova and Sally Ride. Haling from the Soviet Union, Valentina Tereshkova was the first woman to fly into space 50 years ago on June 16. Sally Ride followed 20 years later on June 18, 1983, becoming the first American woman in space.

The Evolution of Observing

An Update on Space Warps

About two weeks ago the Zooniverse launched its latest citizen science project–Space Warps. Built by the citizen science team here at the Adler in collaboration with scientists at the Universities of Oxford and Tokyo, Space Warps invites members of the public to hunt for some of the rarest objects in the Universe - gravitational lenses.

The Beginning, End, and Future of the Kepler Mission

The Building Blocks Behind Cosmic Wonder

Today, light pollution has sapped much of the richness of the sky (certainly in Chicagoland), and instruments like the Hubble Space Telescope have revealed incredible vistas across the Universe only deepening our sense of wonder.

Experience the Adler – As a Member!

As the Manager of Membership and Annual Fund, I love being able to connect with Adler members. Whether they are calling to renew their membership or attending a member event, it is always fun to speak with individuals from this diverse community of Adler’s most dedicated supporters.

Finding Inspiration in Astronomy, Art, and Architecture

Fantastic discoveries — past and present — can alter our conception of the Universe and how we view our place in it. In the 1920s, Edwin Hubble used the Period-Luminosity Relation, photographs, and the most powerful telescope in the world to demonstrate the existence of other galaxies, an idea that had been debated for centuries

Celebrating Women in Space Science

The Women in Space Science (WISS) Award Celebration is a special event held annually and is hosted by the Adler Planetarium Women’s Board. We are in our eleventh year, and I am so proud to be involved with this program.

From Adler's Collections: A 400 Year-Old Celestial Globe

This four-inch-diameter brass celestial globe originated from Italy or Germany, probably in the 1600s, although it is neither signed nor dated. As a celestial globe, it shows stars and constellation figures arranged around the celestial sphere, rather than continents arranged around the terrestrial sphere — as would appear on a terrestrial globe.

Celebrate Yuri's Night

Along with millions of people, The Adler celebrates Yuri’s night on April 12, 2013 to remember and celebrate the signature events of space exploration history. On that date in 1961, Gagarin soared into space, also becoming the first human to orbit the earth.

Spaced Out

Have you ever met a kindergartner who can recite a monologue about the lifecycle of a red giant star? Maybe you personally know 130 elementary school rocket scientists. If this sounds familiar, you might be an outreach educator for the Adler Planetarium.

A Place to Hang Out with Other Space Nerds

Conferences are typically a whirlwind of faces and information sessions. This year's Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC) in The Woodlands, Texas was no different–a gathering of some 2,000 planetary scientists/space enthusiasts to discuss current research and geek out about everything planetary.

My Home Away from Home

The Adler Planetarium and the Air Force Academy High School are two places that I consider “my homes away from home.” I am grateful of my school’s partnership with the Adler because I have access to so many opportunities like sending high-altitude balloons to the edge of space, engaging with museum visitors, and, now, writing for an astro-journalism blog.

Marking Time in the Modern World

The sky is filled with a clockwork of motions that ticks off the seconds, days, and aeons as precisely and regularly as the finest timepiece humans have ever made. The motions in the sky are a combination of the Earth’s orbital motion around the Sun, the spin of the Earth on its axis, and the fact that the North Pole of the Earth is not pointing straight up from its orbit.